bobbo, I have the best iPhone case ever invented. Have had it for over two years and it's in PERFECT shape. Have been extremely pleased with my Sena magnetic flipcase. I often drop my phone but it's NEVER received ANY damage. These cases are a little pricey but they are worth it. I have a regular old black leather case but they have many stylish colors and textures. They are the BOMB...

This is something I researched excessively when I first got my iPhone. There's literally thousands of different cases, but these are what I've found to be the most important/distinguishing features to look for.

3G Dock Compatibile - If you have one of these docks, then chances are your case is going to get in the way of you using it. Only the really thin cases can actually fit in it (as well as the slightly larger Universal Dock) and it can get really cumbersome removing some of the more complex cases each time you want to charge it. Lots of larger docks come with detachable bottoms to fit it, however a lot of them make using a dock impossible.

Durability/Size - This really depends on what you plan on doing with your iPhone. If you're someone who drops their phone a lot, then something more durable like an Otterbox might be worth the clunkier size. But to be honest, most cases can sustain the average fall on the floor/ground without any trouble - I mean, that's why they call them cases in the first place. The choice of what material you want your case to be goes a long with this - the silicone ones are flimsy but easier to take off, but they're a lot cheaper and a lot of people prefer the feel.

Color/Appearance - This is basically up to your preference ofc. However, you might want to look for a thicker case that covers the edges of the front as well, since this helps supplement the screen protectors (which you should ABSOLUTELY get right away if you haven't already).

I'd recommend the Griffin NuForm, that's what I've got and personally I love it. All of the Griffin products are excellent - they're well worth the price and extremely reliable. Their Clarifi case looks nice too, and helps solve the iPhone camera's close up defects with a built in zoom lense. Aside from Griffin, the Switcheasy Colors are great silicone cases which come with a ton of color options as well as additional accessories for really cheap. You can also get 5 cases for $10 off eBay, which are exactly replicas of the iPhone back except in a variety of colors (your choice) rather than just the standard white and black.